The Black Drongo All Information
The Black Drongo is that shiny black bird you often see sitting tall on wires or bushes, watching everything around it. This little guy, about the size of your hand, packs a big punch with its brave attitude and sharp skills in the sky. People love spotting it in fields and villages because it helps keep bugs away from crops.
Image Credit to Wikimedia Commons
Scientific and Regional Names
The Black Drongo has one scientific name but tons of local names across India and nearby areas. These names show how folks in different places see this bird – as a protector, a crow chaser, or even something magical. Here’s a table with key names in various languages.
What Does a Black Drongo Look Like?
Picture a bird that’s all black and glossy, like it just got a fresh polish under the sun. It grows to about 28 cm long, with a tail that’s deeply forked, making it look sleek and fast even when just sitting. Adults have a tiny white spot near their beak, and their eyes are dark brown – no red like some look-alikes.
Young ones are a bit duller, brownish with some white streaks on the belly. They take time to get that full black shine and forked tail, which shows up after a few weeks. Males and females look the same, so you can’t tell them apart just by looks. In different parts of Asia, there are slight changes – like bigger ones in north India or greener gloss in Thailand – but they’re all one species with seven groups.
This bird sits super straight on short legs, ready to zip off. No fancy colors, but that black coat shimmers blue or green in light, turning heads in any field or garden.
Where Black Drongos Live and Thrive
Black Drongos love open spaces where they can perch high and scan for food. You’ll find them in farms, grasslands, village edges, and even city parks across India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, up to China and Indonesia. They stick around year-round in most places but move a bit in cooler north areas.
They pick spots near the ground for hunting bugs, like plowed fields or scrub lands. In India, they’re everywhere from sea level to hills up to 2000 meters in summer. Cities suit them too – think wires, poles, and rooftops. But they avoid thick forests, sticking to light woods or savannas.
Near farms, they hang with cows or buffaloes, picking ticks off them. In places like Rajaji National Park, they roam grasslands and riverbanks. This adaptability makes them common sights, even in busy spots.
Daily Life and Smart Hunting Tricks
These birds wake up early, often before dawn, and crash late, sometimes near streetlights. They perch on wires, bushes, or animals, eyes peeled for flying bugs. Spot one? Watch it flap hard and twist in air to grab a grasshopper or bee mid-flight – that’s their sallying move.
Main food is insects: beetles, wasps, dragonflies, termites, even butterflies others skip. They join plowed fields with dozens of pals, snapping up turned-up grubs. Fires in grass? They flock there for panicked bugs. Sometimes they glean off leaves or ground, or snatch from mynas by scaring them with fake hawk calls.
Rarely, they take small lizards, bats, or fish. In cities, they hunt late around lights. Farmers love them for eating pests – some even put up perches! This pest control helps crops without chemicals.
Sounds That Fool Everyone
Black Drongos chat a lot with sharp tee-hee calls, like a mini hawk warning. But they’re mimic masters – copying mynas, orioles, shikras, even cats or frogs! In one spot, they meowed to tease a real cat on a sill.
Why mimic? To scare rivals away from food or guard nests. Males sing fluty tunes in mornings during love season. Calls range from whistles to chatters, making them noisy neighbors. Listen close on a walk – you might hear a “drongo orchestra” fooling the flock.
Breeding and Nesting Secrets
Breeding kicks off with rains, February-March in south India, up to August north. Pairs chase in sky shows, locking beaks and tumbling – real acrobats! They stick together for the season, building a neat cup nest from twigs and grass in a week.
Nests go in tree forks like neem, mango, or jackfruit, 10-15 meters up. Eggs: 3-4 creamy with red spots, incubated 14-15 days by both parents. Chicks hatch blind, eyes open day 8, fledge in 16-20 days. Parents feed them a month more. Helpers from last brood sometimes chip in.
Success rate around 44%, better with good rain for bugs. Second try if first fails. Nests near power lines or farms too.
The Fearless Nest Guardian
Here’s why Black Drongos shine for wildlife nests: they’re bold protectors. Tiny but tough, they dive-bomb crows, eagles, even monkeys near their nest. This scares predators off, so smaller birds like bulbuls, doves, orioles nest close – up to 18 pairs nearby in studies.
Small birds trust this “king crow” to guard the hood. Drongos mob threats year-round but amp up in breeding. They peck big birds mid-air! Other birds get the memo and build nearby for safety. In your garden, a drongo nest means safer spots for everyone.
Fun Interactions with Animals and Us
Drongos team up with egrets, mynas for bug hunts – more food for all. They ride cattle for ticks, called “cattle guards.” Tricky side: fake alarms to steal snacks. In Pacific islands, introduced ones boomed and hurt local birds – lesson on balance.
Farmers perch them up for pest control, but beekeepers grumble over lost bees. In culture, names like “Kotwal” mean cop, for chasing crows. Superstitions say fledglings on cows bend horns – fun folklore!
Growth from Chick to Adult
Chicks start with yellow gape, feathers day 4, fly weeks later. Parents chase beggars after a month. Full adult in two years, moult June-Oct for fresh gloss. Play: drop leaves to catch, practicing hunts.
Why They’re Safe and What Helps
IUCN says Least Concern – common and wide-ranging. Threats? Lost homes from farms or cities, but they adapt well. Protect trees, fields, cut lights at night. Plant neem, add perches – boost your local guards.
In India, watch them in any open spot. Next field trip, spot a drongo – thank it for bug patrol and nest watch. These birds make our wild spots safer, one bold swoop at a time.
Black Drongo FAQ
What is the scientific name of Black Drongo?
Dicrurus macrocercus.
Where can I spot Black Drongos in India?
Open fields, farms, villages, city wires – everywhere except dense forests.
What do they eat daily?
Insects like beetles, wasps, grasshoppers; also cattle ticks.
Why do they attack bigger birds?
To protect their nest and nearby birds from predators like crows.
Do Black Drongos migrate?
Mostly no, but northern populations move south in winter.
How do they build nests?
Cup-shaped from twigs in tree forks, 3-4 eggs per clutch.
Can they mimic other animals?
Yes, birds, hawks, even cats to fool threats.
Are they good for farmers?
Yes, natural pest control without chemicals.
What’s their size and color?
28 cm, glossy black with forked tail.
Threatened or safe?
Safe, Least Concern status.
